18 Cocktails Perfect for Your Next Party

Nothing says "I have my hosting game on lock" quite like welcoming people to your home with a fresh boulevardier, Pimm's Cup, or caipirinha, minus the stress of spending the whole night behind the bar juicing limes. Here are 18 perfect make-ahead cocktail recipes that will have all your friends asking "how do they do it?"

Directions:Combine ingredients except sparkling wine in a punch bowl. Stir until salt is dissolved. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. To serve, add a large ice block or large ice cubes and sparkling wine. Garnish with thin apple slices and mint.

Directions:In a quart-size mason jar, stir together the whiskey, Campari, and vermouth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve, pour 3 ounces into an ice-filled shaker or mixing glass and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Directions:*Toasted Hazelnut-Infused Drambuie: Toast nuts over medium heat until browned and you can easily smell toasted aroma. For every 1 part of Drambuie add .5 part of toasted nuts. Let infuse in airtight container for 24 hours. Strain and reserve for use. In a punch bowl add all ingredients and slowly stir with large ice block. Add garnishes and serve well chilled.

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4. Negronis for a crowd

IMAGE Michael Dietsch

This large-format version of the classic Italian aperitivo comes together in just a few minutes and will save you tons of time when your guests start pouring in.

Directions:Use a small saucepan over medium heat and lightly toast cardamom seeds. Combine with star anise, nutmeg, diced ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange, water and sugar. Stir until sugar has completely dissolved. Let it cool for 30 minutes, and use fine mesh sieve to strain. Keep refrigerated. Syrup can be stored for up to 4 weeks. Mix all cocktail ingredients together and add ice. Serve in mini harvest pumpkins or glass mugs and top with toasted meringue.

Directions:Put all ingredients into a punch bowl, add ice 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Stir occasionally to increase coldness and incorporate water for balance.

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Lemongrass Sweetener: Take three pieces of lemongrass and slap them against a counter to open up the aroma. Cut into one inch pieces and throw into a pot with one quart of water and sugar. Bring to a low boil and let cool. Strain off the lemongrass and store in fridge (Glass container with lid works best. Properly stored it will can be stored for up to 4 weeks).

Directions:In a quart-size mason jar, stir together the rum, simple syrup, and lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve (the mixture will keep for 1 day in the refrigerator). Pour .5 cup of the mixture into a rock glass with one large cube of ice. Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

Directions:Place the mint leaves into a large pitcher or smaller bowl and gently tap with a muddler or small ladle to extract the essence. Add the Pimm's, cucumber, apple, strawberries, pear, Cointreau, juice, and stir to combine. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add large cubes and ginger ale. Gently stir and serve.

From Employees Only in New York.

11. Sazerac Pitchers

IMAGE J. Muckle

There's an old-school elegance to pouring up one of these New Orleans favorites from a crystal pitcher, or go deep south and serve it in grandma's lemonade jug.

Bottle up a batch of this rye-and-vermouth based classic to get everyone into a sophisticated '60s vibe. the best part? There's just four ingredients so whipping up another round is (almost) as easy as drinking them. Recipe: Serious Eats

Directions:Zest the limes, combining zest with granulated sugar. Allow mixture to sit for 30 minutes to allow sugar to absorb the lime oils, creating an oleo-saccharum. Combine oleo-saccharum with all other ingredients, except for garnish, in a large mixing bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Strain into punch bowl over ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.